The short answer: I use AI as an assistant, never as the brain of my business. I use ChatGPT for strategy and Claude for execution, organize my work into AI projects, build AI skills so I don't repeat myself, hand off the tasks I dread, use AI to complete real work, run a daily AI morning brief, use AI to challenge my decisions, create content without losing my voice, and use all of it to build a business with more freedom. My expertise and judgment still lead every decision.

I'm not talking about asking ChatGPT to write an Instagram caption.

Yes, it can do that. But I've moved way past it, and I want you to move past it too.

AI has completely changed how I run my business. How I organize it. How I make decisions. How I get through the work I used to dread. And how I'm doing things today that I honestly wouldn't have imagined doing myself a couple of years ago.

So I want to walk you through exactly how I'm using it right now. Ten real ways, no fluff. And you don't need to know how to code to use any of it.

But first, one thing I need you to hear.

AI Is My Assistant. It Is Not My Brain.

Everything I teach started with me. It came from years of running my design firm, working with clients, managing multimillion-dollar projects, pricing, hiring, and making plenty of mistakes along the way.

AI didn't give me any of that.

What AI has done is help me take that knowledge and put it to work faster, more organized, and a whole lot easier to manage.

That's the distinction I want you to hold onto through this whole post. Please don't hand over your creativity, your expertise, or (God forbid) your intellectual property to a computer and hope it comes back with something brilliant.

It won't.

Use AI to bring your brilliant ideas to life.

1. I Use Both ChatGPT and Claude (and I Don't Pick a Team)

For a while, it felt like we all had to choose. Team ChatGPT. Team Claude. Team Gemini.

You don't have to choose. And honestly, these tools change so often that picking a side gets tiresome.

Here's how I use them:

• ChatGPT is where I think. I talk through strategy, organize ideas, research, and work through decisions the way I would with a trusted business consultant.
• Claude is where I execute. I take the plan I built in ChatGPT and have Claude help me get the work done.
• Then I go back. Most of the time, I bring the results back to ChatGPT for another review.

One leads, one executes. It's like running a team. You don't ask every person to do every job. You figure out who's best suited for what.

But I'm still the one directing the work. AI can suggest an approach or spot a problem, but the final decision before anything goes out into the world is mine.

My advice: If you've only ever used one platform, give the other one a real try. This technology moves too fast to get overly loyal to one tool.

2. I Regularly Check Which AI Model I Should Be Using

I know this one sounds a little nerdy. Stay with me.

When you open ChatGPT or Claude, the app is just the umbrella. Behind it are different models with different strengths. Some respond fast. Some spend more effort reasoning through complicated problems. Some are better for research, coding, or long, involved tasks.

And those options change often. What made sense three months ago might not make sense today.

So about once a week, I ask myself:

• Have there been model updates?
• Am I using something overly complicated for a simple task (and wasting usage)?
• Or am I using a simple model for something that needs real reasoning?

Polishing a quick email? I don't need the heaviest model available. Working through a complicated business decision? I probably do.

A small habit that helps: Ask the AI what model options are current, then verify it against the platform's official updates. And when you want fresh, current information, put today's date in your prompt. It's a tiny thing, but it gets me better results.

3. I Organize My AI Conversations Into Projects

If I could get every business owner to start one habit tomorrow, it would be this one.

Here's what I see all the time. Someone opens ChatGPT for an Instagram post. The next day it's pricing. Then a difficult client. Then marketing. A few weeks later, there are a hundred random conversations scattered everywhere.

And then they wonder why AI never seems to understand them or their business.

It's as scattered as what you give it.

Both ChatGPT and Claude let you organize your work into projects, and I use them for everything. I have dedicated projects for each area of my businesses, for specific marketing channels, and even for individual clients.

When a project holds all the related conversations, files, and instructions, AI has everything it needs right at its fingertips. Need a weekly client update? Go to that client's project and it pulls from exactly what's inside.

Think of it like the papers on your desk. Instead of piles everywhere, you gather everything that belongs together and put a paperclip on it. That's a project.

A few things to remember:

• Projects aren't magic. You still need to make sure the right information is in there.
• Be thoughtful about what you upload. Client information, financial records, and proprietary materials deserve real care. Check the privacy settings on the tools you use and only share what's necessary.
• Maintain them. Instructions need updating. Old conversations stop being relevant. Clean house occasionally.

Start today: Search your old chats, find the ones that belong together, and move them into a project. You'll be surprised how much smarter those conversations get.

4. I Use AI Skills So I Don't Have to Keep Explaining Myself

This is one of my favorite topics.

Think about training a new employee. You don't want to re-explain your entire business, your preferences, and your expectations every single morning. You train them once, document the important things, and give them something to keep referring back to.

That's what an AI skill does.

A skill holds your instructions, standards, reference materials, and process so AI can do a specific type of work the same way every time. Instead of starting from scratch, you're giving it your playbook.

Stop making AI guess how you want things done.

But here's the part I really want you to catch: those standards and processes have to come from somewhere. Ideally, they come from you.

Your client communication tone. Your response times. How you handle a difficult situation. The phrases you love and the ones you'd never use in a million years.

Those are business decisions you've made. AI didn't invent them. You're simply teaching AI to help you follow your own decisions.

The more you teach AI about how you work, the more useful it becomes.

5. I Let AI Take On the Tasks I Dread

Before I ask "who can I hire for this," I ask a different question first:

Can AI help me do this?

The answer is usually yes.

Think about everything you'd normally hand off: researching, organizing information, preparing documents, drafting emails, comparing options, creating checklists, reviewing a process. AI can support all of it.

That doesn't mean AI does everything. It's not going to manage an install at your client's home. It's not going to build a deep personal relationship with a difficult client. And it should never make major decisions in your business without you.

But for a lot of the behind-the-scenes work? It's fabulous.

Try this: Ask yourself what you actually dread in your business. The thing that makes you sigh when it shows up on your calendar. Meeting notes. Reports. Procedures. QuickBooks (God help us all). Marketing content.

Then ask: How could AI help me get through this?

It may not do the whole job, and it may not be perfect the first time. But it can probably take part of it off your plate. That's where the real value of AI begins.

6. I Use AI to Actually Complete Work, Not Just Explain It

There's a big difference between asking AI how to do something and having AI help you actually do it.

A chatbot can give you a beautiful step-by-step explanation for organizing your files. But you still have to go do all the work.

Tools like Claude Cowork are built to help carry out tasks inside a real working environment, within the access and permissions you give them. That has changed my workflow tremendously.

What makes it work:

• Give it a goal, not just a task. Tell it what you want to happen at the end and why. It gives you a better outcome when it understands the reason.
• Talk to it like a person. I turn on my microphone and just speak, ums and all. It picks up how I actually think and talk.
• Set guardrails. I never give unlimited access and walk away. I set boundaries and review what it's doing as it goes.

And this brings me to the most important rule in this entire post.

Always Review What AI Gives You

Never assume something is ready to publish just because it looks finished and sounds good.

AI makes mistakes. And it makes them confidently. It can misunderstand your instructions, leave something out, or invent information that sounds completely believable.

Read the email before it goes to customers. Check the document before it goes to clients. Verify the facts before it goes on your website.

Your name and your reputation are on the final product. Your customers won't care that a tool made the mistake. They'll associate it with your business.

Let AI do the heavy lifting. Keep your judgment on the final result.

7. I Use an AI Chief of Staff

I know. It sounds like I should be sitting in a corner office with someone bringing me coffee.

I promise you, I still make my own coffee every morning.

But one of the hardest parts of owning a business is how often you switch hats. Marketing. Finances. Clients. Customer support. A new product. And then you remember something you were supposed to do three days ago, and half the day is gone.

So I've started building what I call my AI chief of staff. Right now, its main job is a daily morning brief. Without me having to ask, it brings me:

• Emails that still need a reply
• The financial reports I've asked for
• How my ads are performing and what I've spent

I'm still developing it, and it's not running my company for me. But starting the day oriented instead of reacting has made a real difference.

We don't need more information. We need help making sense of it.

8. I Use AI to Analyze My Business and Challenge My Decisions

I don't want AI to agree with everything I say.

You know what I mean. You share an idea and suddenly you're brilliant, you're going to write a book, you're going to be on TV.

Well, thank you very much. But is it actually a good idea, or are you just being nice?

I don't need a cheerleader. I need something that helps me think critically.

So I use AI to:

• Look at real data. If I'm getting leads but not sales, I don't want to be told to spend more. I want to know what the numbers are telling me.
• Challenge my assumptions. Show me the downside. Tell me what I might be overlooking.
• Ask better questions. What would have to be true for this decision to make sense?

This matters even more when you're a solo business owner without a leadership team around a conference table. It can get lonely. Another perspective helps.

But AI doesn't make bad information accurate, and it doesn't replace a qualified accountant, bookkeeper, or attorney when you need one. It's part of my decision-making process. Never the final authority.

(If the numbers you're looking at are your pricing, I wrote more about that in why most interior designers underprice their services.)

9. I Use AI to Create Content Without Losing My Personality or Intellectual Property

AI should help you communicate your knowledge. It should not replace it.

I built my Design Success Academy long before AI was something any of us opened every day. Every lesson inside came from my own client work, my own projects, and my own lessons learned the hard way.

AI didn't create any of that. I did.

What I use AI for now is helping me present that knowledge in new ways. Turning a lesson I've taught for years into a checklist. Reorganizing information into a format that's easier for someone to absorb. Helping me outline a podcast episode from a pile of ideas.

The concepts are still mine. The experience is still mine. The opinions are still mine.

So ask yourself:

• What do you know that only comes from your years of experience?
• What have you learned that someone just starting out doesn't know yet?
• What mistakes taught you something valuable?

That's what makes you different. Don't lose it by letting AI do your thinking for you.

And one more time, because it matters: always review AI-generated content before you publish it. Check it for accuracy, tone, and meaning. And make sure it didn't share something you meant to keep private. (I've spilled my guts to AI before and watched it try to share way too much with the world.)

What About AI Renderings and the Creative Side of Design?

I know some of my interior designers are wondering about this one.

Yes, I've experimented with AI on the creative side, and honestly, it's kind of mind-blowing. But my focus right now is on coaching, education, and helping designers build stronger businesses, so I'm not ready to teach that process yet.

What I do want to address is the fear that AI is going to replace what we do.

Let's say a potential client sits down with an AI image generator and creates a beautiful living room. They love it. Perfect palette. Perfect vibe.

Now what?

Who figures out whether that room actually works in their home? Who determines the dimensions? Who specifies the furnishings, finishes, lighting, and casework? Who knows what products actually exist, what fits the budget, and what can realistically be installed? Who coordinates with the architect, the contractor, and the trades?

A beautiful picture is not a completed interior design project.

An AI rendering is an idea. It's a concept. It is not a construction document, a specification package, an FF&E, or an installation plan.

That's where we shine.

So when a client walks in with an AI image, thank them. It's a wonderful starting point, and it shows you what they're drawn to. Then be confident explaining what it actually takes to bring that picture to life. Say it in your consultations, on your website, and on social media.

Your value was never just the ability to create a pretty picture. It's knowing what to do with that picture.

10. I'm Using AI to Build a Business That Gives Me More Freedom

This is the one that matters most to me.

It's not just about productivity. It's not just about saving money. And it's definitely not about using the latest shiny tool.

It's about freedom.

I've been an entrepreneur since I was a kid selling cupcakes at my mom's yard sales. And like so many of you, I started a business because I wanted independence and a life that looked different from a nine-to-five.

Then something funny happens. The business gets busy. Then busier. More clients, more responsibilities, more people, more overhead. And the business you built for freedom starts demanding all of your time.

You start a design business because you love creating beautiful spaces, and then you're drowning in invoices, schedules, emails, proposals, and vendor follow-ups.

My priorities have changed. I'm not interested in building a bigger operation just to be bigger. I want a business that supports the life I want: more flexibility, more travel, more time to explore ideas.

AI is a big part of how I'm getting there. Less repetitive work. Better decisions. Simpler processes. Less overhead. More choices.

But here's a warning, from someone who's guilty of it. One of the biggest mistakes people make with AI is using it to add more work. You discover you can create things faster, so you immediately start creating twenty more things.

Just because we can do more doesn't mean we should.

The goal isn't to fill every minute. It's to make room for the parts of your life and business you actually enjoy.

(I shared more about building a business that runs without you in 10 business lessons from 100 podcast episodes.)

Where to Start If This Feels Like a Lot

You don't need to do all ten of these tomorrow. Please don't.

Pick one. Grab a piece of paper, a note on your phone, or open ChatGPT or Claude, and ask yourself three questions:

1. What do I dread doing in my business? Not what you think AI is supposed to be good at. What you personally put off.
2. Which parts of that work actually require my expertise? Identify them and protect them. That's your value.
3. What can AI help me accomplish without taking that expertise away? A first draft, a checklist, organized information, a comparison for your review.

Start there.

And when AI gives you a result, don't just accept it because it looks good. Read it, question it, correct it, and make sure it reflects what you actually meant.

You're still the business owner. You're the expert. AI is a very capable assistant, but an assistant nonetheless.

Frequently Asked Questions About Using AI in Your Business

Can AI replace a virtual assistant for a small business?

For a lot of behind-the-scenes work, yes. AI can research, organize information, prepare documents, draft emails, compare options, create checklists, and review processes. It can't manage an install, build a deep relationship with a difficult client, or make major business decisions without you. Use it for the tasks you dread, and keep your judgment on the final result.

Should I use ChatGPT or Claude for my business?

You don't have to choose. I use ChatGPT to think through strategy and decisions, then take that plan into Claude to help execute the work, and often bring the results back to ChatGPT for review. Both are useful, and the tools change often, so stay open to whichever fits the task.

What is an AI skill?

An AI skill is a saved set of instructions, standards, reference materials, and process that helps AI do a specific type of work the same way every time. It's like training a new employee once instead of every morning. The standards inside it should come from your own experience and business decisions.

How do I organize my AI conversations?

Use projects in ChatGPT or Claude. Create a project for each area of your business, each marketing channel, or each client, and keep related conversations, files, and instructions together. Search your old chats and move them into the right project so AI has the full context.

Will AI replace interior designers?

No. A client can generate a beautiful room with AI, but an AI rendering is a concept, not a construction document, specification package, FF&E, or installation plan. Interior designers turn that inspiration into a real, functional space by determining dimensions, specifying products, managing budgets, and coordinating with architects, contractors, and trades.

How do I start using AI in my business?

Pick one thing. Ask yourself what you dread doing, which parts of that work truly require your expertise, and what AI can help with without taking that expertise away. Start with a first draft, a checklist, or organized information, and always review what AI gives you before you use it.

Is it safe to put client information into AI?

Be thoughtful. Client information, financial records, confidential documents, and proprietary materials deserve real care. Understand the privacy settings and data policies of the tools you use, and only share what is necessary and appropriate.

Want Help Putting This to Work in Your Design Business?

If you're an interior designer reading this and thinking, "John, this sounds wonderful, but I don't even know where to begin," that's exactly why I created The AI Studio.

It's not about teaching you how to design. You already know how to do that, beautifully. It's built for the business of design: marketing, client communication, processes, and the behind-the-scenes work that eats up your time, with ready-to-use AI skills and resources made specifically for interior designers.

The design knowledge, the business experience, and the decisions still come from you. That's the whole point.

Explore The AI Studio

And if you'd rather hear all of this in my own words, listen to the full podcast episode.

Your knowledge, your creativity, and your expertise are what make your business valuable. Use AI to bring all of that to life. Just never hand it over.

About John McClain

John McClain is the founder of John McClain Design, a luxury residential interior design firm based in Los Angeles, and The McClain Method, where he teaches interior designers how to build profitable, well-run businesses. He is the author of The Designer Within, host of The McClain Method Podcast with more than 100 episodes, and a professional speaker. He uses AI every day to run his business and teaches designers to do the same without giving up their expertise.